As reported by the BBC, new guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission states that single-sex spaces such as toilets and changing rooms should be used according to biological sex under the Equality Act
The updated code of practice, which has been approved by ministers, says that a transgender woman should not use facilities designated for women, while transgender men should not use male-only spaces.
Instead, the guidance recommends that organisations consider providing separate gender-neutral or third spaces to ensure transgender people are not left without access to services or facilities.
The commission said excluding transgender people entirely from facilities would be unlikely to be proportionate and could amount to discrimination.
The guidance follows last year’s Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act is based on biological sex.
Published on 21 May, the code will now be reviewed by Parliament. MPs and peers have 40 days to raise objections before the guidance can formally become statutory.
Be the first to comment